1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for creating version migration and fallback for computer software. More specifically, this invention relates to a method for creating alternate boot environments that preserve the state of all original software components on a computer system before users perform a software upgrade.
2. Description of Related Art
Software products are perpetually upgraded with performance enhancements, new features, and problem corrections. These newer versions are released to computer users, but the user faces a risk of system failure when applying the software upgrade. Due to the inherent dependencies of computer hardware and software components, introducing a different version of a component into the system raises the possibility that a failure will occur. Such failures may range from a minor inconvenience to a catastrophic system failure. As a result, computer users risk extended downtime during and after upgrades, with no assurance of a complete fall-back strategy.
To create a fall-back strategy, users have long performed system backups, where all the files of a computer are copied to removable media such as tape. However, system recovery using such a scheme is very time consuming. Further, performing a recovery overwrites the previous system contents.
Thus, there is a need for an invention that eliminates the risks of migrating to an upgraded system and allows users to quickly fall back to a previous operating environment.